Smoked Chicken Breast Stuffed with Cheese and Chorizo

Finally!

The winter seemed to last forever and it is finally starting to warm up. I was waiting for some spring weather so that I could get the Bradley Smoker going. I have so many recipes ready to test out and I wasn’t sure which one to try first. I decided to go with a stuffed chicken breast and it did not disappoint.

Chicken breasts are really nice smoked, and I find that stuffing them helps to ensure that they are moist on the inside. There are many different stuffings that work, but this chorizo and cheese is quite possibly my favorite.

Chicken breast can go from being perfectly cooked to overdone and dry quite quickly. If possible, use a digital thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.

Make sure to use a sharp knife when slicing the chicken to make the pocket. Try to get as big a pocket in the chicken as possible but make sure you do not cut through the other side. I suppose it is not the end of the world, but the more openings there are, the greater chance that cheese will ooze out.

This recipe used Spanish chorizo which is cured, similar to salami. It does not need to be cooked in advance, so just make sure it is diced. It is possible to use Mexican chorizo, but make sure that it has been browned/cooked and then cooled before stuffing into the chicken.

Rub the chicken with your favorite BBQ rub. I tied them up with string to make sure the stuffing stayed in the chicken. It is also possible to wrap them with bacon as well.

Place them in a smoker set for 250F and cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 160F. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

Set smoker to 250F and start up the smoke using wood of choice (Hickory, Maple, Cherry all work well)

Using a sharp knife, gently slice a pocket into each chicken breast. Try and slice as deep into the chicken as you can without coming through the other side.

Stuff the chicken with some of the diced chorizo and grated cheese making sure the same amount goes into each chicken.

Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken breasts.

If desired, wrap 2 slices of bacon around each chicken breast.

If you are not wrapping the chicken with bacon, tie up the chicken breast with string.

Place chicken breasts in the smoker.

Remove the chicken from the smoker when it reaches 160-165F, about 3 hours. Personally, I pull the chicken at 160F because it seems to climb a few more degrees even after it has been taken out of the smoker.